In a recent interview with USA Today Sports, NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal shared his thoughts on the hype surrounding Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark in the WNBA. O’Neal was asked about Clark taking over the WNBA landscape and turning into one of the biggest stars in the league at just 22 years old.
The basketball Hall of Famer believes everyone is trying to hype up Caitlin Clark and they need to “calm down.” O’Neal said Clark needs to earn her reign in the WNBA.
The current NBA analyst thinks while Clark is great, she “ain’t that great yet.” “You gotta also understand that we’re not just going to give it to you because everybody else is giving it to you,” O’Neal continued. “You still gotta earn it. Chuck had to go through that, I had to go through that, so I understand what everybody’s doing. Yeah you’re great, but you ain’t that great yet. Calm down. O’Neal believes other stars also deserve credit.
He said that if WNBA fans are going to give credit to Clark for what she’s been able to accomplish in her rookie season, players like Diana Taurasi and A’ja Wilson deserve some love. “We still got Diana Taurasi, we still got A’ja Wilson,” O’Neal added. “If you’re gonna give [Caitlin] props make sure our girls that are dominating in this league get the same props.”
Taurasi is widely viewed as the greatest women’s basketball player ever. She’s currently 42 years old, averaging 15.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game for the Phoenix Mercury. Wilson, on the other hand, is the leading MVP candidate. She’s had a tremendous season with the Las Vegas Aces, currently averaging 27.3 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game.
Shaquille O’Neal thinks these types of stat lines and accomplishments should also be spotlighted. Team WNBA guard Caitlin Clark (22) © Joe Camporeale–USA TODAY Sports © Joe Camporeale–USA TODAY Sports While O’Neal wants the hype around Caitlin Clark to “calm down,” that’s a difficult ask for WNBA fans.
The rookie is currently averaging 19.2 points, 8.5 assists, and 5.8 rebounds per game. She’s the leading candidate for the Rookie of the Year award and may even be playing herself into the MVP conversation. Clark leads all rookies in average points and leads the WNBA in average assists.
Despite the Fever having the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft in the last two years, Clark has been able to lead Indiana back into the playoffs for the first time since 2016. The Fever currently hold a 19-17 record. They’re one of the hottest teams in the league, winning eight of their last 10 games. Indiana stands at No. 6 in the WNBA standings.
